1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates to a mug and coaster assembly, and in particular, to a coaster that is adapted to be secured to a mug to prevent condensate, moisture and overflow liquid from contacting the supporting surface on which the mug and coaster assembly rests.
2. Description Of The Related Art
The present invention is applicable to mugs, glasses, receptacles and beverage containers alike, which shall hereinafter be collectively and interchangeably referred to as either "mugs" or "receptacles". The present invention shall be described hereinbelow in connection with a mug, although it will be appreciated that the principles of the present invention are also applicable to other similarly configured receptacles and beverage containers, such as glasses, for example.
There are many coasters that are provided for use with mugs to protect table surfaces or other supporting surfaces from condensate, moisture and overflowing liquid which may gravitate to the bottom of the mugs. Many of these coasters have also been adapted to be secured to the bottom of the mug so that the mug will not slide or slip off the coaster when used, for example, in an automobile. When so used, a user may lift up the coaster and the mug together when drinking, and then place the combined coaster and mug back on the dashboard after drinking. This allows the driver to keep his or her eye on the road without needing to look at the coaster to secure the mug to the coaster. Some of these coasters have also attempted to retain the coaster in a fixed position on the supporting surface.
One example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,641,911 to Raymond et al., which discloses a coaster 10 which is not attached to the drinking glass 11. The drinking glass 11 is free to move and can be easily toppled.
Another example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,957,263 to Gray, which discloses, in FIG. 3, a coaster having a body 30 that has a wall 34 with a bead 36 formed around the upper edge. Gripping tongues 38 present a substantially continuous inwardly directed flange which frictionally engages the receptacle 40. However, depending upon the configuration of the receptacle 40, the coaster of the '263 Gray patent is not always adequately attached to the receptacle 40, and does not provide means to adequately hold the coaster to the supporting surface.
A recent example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,749 to Ige, which discloses a coaster 10 that is adapted to be attached to a recessed cylindrical portion 32 of a cup 30. The '749 Ige patent also teaches that the coaster 10 be made of a material such that its bottom surface can frictionally grip a supporting surface. However, the coaster 10 of the '749 Ige patent does not prevent condensate, moisture and overflowing liquid from reaching the supporting surface since the outer surface 16 of the side wall 12 is flush with the outer surface of the upper portion 34 of the cup 30. Also, it would be undesirable to use the cup 30 without the coaster 10 since the recessed cylindrical portion 32 is aesthetically unsightly. Further, the mere use of a material which frictionally grips the supporting surface may not be adequate on its own to hold the coaster 10 to certain supporting surfaces, such as to automobile dashboards which experience significant movement.
Thus, the above-described coaster and mug combinations each suffer from certain drawbacks. Thus, there still exists a need for a coaster and mug combination: (1) in which the coaster strongly grips the mug and yet the mug can be easily removed from the coaster and easily reinserted in a secure manner in the coaster, (2) where the coaster provides a trap for catching condensation, moisture and overflowing liquid which forms and drains down the side of the mug to prevent such moisture or liquid from reaching the supporting surface, (3) in which the coaster has means for holding the coaster to the supporting surface, (4) which looks aesthetically attractive when used in combination and when used as separate components, and (5) which can be manufactured at low cost to the consumer.